Separable fasteners or closure mechanisms which utilize a nap formed from hooked or "male" member to engage a nap formed from a looped or "female" member when pressure is applied are known. Commonly, a flexible substrate such as a tape or ribbon is provided with Iccp-like structures to form a looped nap and an opposing flexible substrate is provided with hook-like structures to form a hooked nap on its surface. Usually a nap is formed only on one surface of the substrate, the surface which will form a closure. The opposing surface typically remains relatively smooth or at least nap-less. When one substrate nap is pressed against another, a closure or holding means results. To separate one tape from the other, force is applied perpendicularly to the napped surface of one or more of the substrates, thus "peeling" one from the other. This type of separable fastener is known by its trademarked name, VELCRO, which is claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,009,235 to G. De Mestral. Modifications and variations on this type of fastener which differ from one another in ease and economy of production as well as in such properties such as the amount of force required to separate male from female napped substrates are claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,708,833 to Ribich; 3,147,528 to Erb; 3,762,000 to Menzin et al.; 4,872,243 to Fischer; 4,984,339 to Provost et al.; 5,131,119 to Ryuichi Murasaki et al.; and 5,339,499 to Kennedy, et al.
Separable VELCRO fasteners or closures have been used on mechanisms for transferring motion albeit as separable fasteners. U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,540 to F'Geppert claims a power-transmission belt of a V-type which has a hooked nap on one end and a looped nap on the opposite end. If the belt which is in place breaks, it can be replaced by this belt which is size adjusted to fit tautly by pressing together the napped ends when the desired tension is achieved. While the belt itself is utilized to transfer motion, the napped separable fastener is not itself so utilized.
Separable VELCRO fasteners have also been used as a means for attaching objects for construction toys. U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,472 to Smith et al., shows an educational toy which demonstrates the conversion of hydraulic power into motion. Herein, separable VELCRO napped fasteners are used to maintain toy components such as water wheel in a vertical position. When water is directed into the buckets of the water wheel, the wheel is caused to rotate. However, the VELCRO fasteners are not directly involved in the transfer of motion.
In another example of a construction toy known as Lots of Gears which was sold by CHILDCRAFT TOYS INTERNATIONAL, LTD., Jerusalem, gears having varying sizes and pivotal axes are provided with VELCRO fasteners having a hooked nap on one side at the pivot point. A board which covered with a looped napped VELCRO fastener is provided for mounting the gears so that different gear ratios may be demonstrated when gears of varying sizes are engaged with one another. Again, the separable VELCRO napped fastener components are used for mounting rather than for motion transfer.
Separable VELCRO fastener components have been used in toys to cause motion to cease. For example, it is known to cover a glove or a portion of a glove for catching a tennis ball with separable VELCRO fasteners. When the ball is tossed either straight up into the air or from one player to another such that the VELCRO fastener on the glove contacts the VELCRO fastener on the ball, the ball and glove "stick" one to the other under certain conditions. Thus, the motion of the ball is curtailed. However, motion is not transmitted to a second body which is thereby caused to move in this example.